Given name & surname
Mar
“of the sea”
Mar is used as a given name and a surname. One Spanish interpretation is “of the sea.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Spanish interpretation is “of the sea.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Spanish.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1913. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Mar through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,188
- 253 boys · 935 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 129 babies
- 2025
- 129
- #1,708 for girls · #8,669 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +486%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 120 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,708 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 395.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 9 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (32). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,060 as a first name in 2020; 5,494 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Mar’s family of names
In Norman usage, Mar continues an earlier form in Marc. Mar has a related form in Mare. Mar has a related form in Marr.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Mar
- Mar CollCatalan film director and screenwriterborn 1981
- Mar GalceránSpanish politician (born 1977)
- Mar MolnéSpanish sport shooterborn 2001
- Mar SodupeFrench actressborn 1972
- Mar CambrolléSpanish LGBT activistborn 1957
- Sebastian MankuzhikaryCatholic bishop1929–1994
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Mar, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Antonella is a variant of Antonia. In Latin use, Antonia carries the interpretation “priceless and highly praiseworthy; a flourishing flower.”
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Itsasne
“of the sea”
—
Goizane
“dawn”
>99% girls